Britannica Web sites

(1885-1982). When Harry S. Truman was elected vice-president of the United States in 1944, his wife, Bess, was still unknown around Washington, D.C. Her cherished anonymity suddenly disappeared on April 12, 1945, when she became first lady and her husband became the nation’s 33rd president following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The long tenure and social activism of her predecessor, Eleanor Roosevelt, had set a daunting precedent, but Bess was not interested in becoming a public figure and even refused to give press conferences. Although talkative around those she knew, she often felt uncomfortable at large gatherings and tried to limit her appearances at such events to the necessary minimum.